Penrith takes on South Sydney in Sunday’s NRL grand final and last year’s runners-up will be aiming to break an 18-year drought.
Another Covid-affected NRL season will reach its conclusion on Sunday night when Penrith takes on South Sydney in the grand final.
The Rabbitohs will be looking to back up their 2014 premiership with another grand final win, while the Panthers are aiming to breaking an 18-year-old drought stretching back to 2003.
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Penrith has had the wood over the Rabbitohs in the last couple of years, but the Bunnies turned the form guide on its head with an impressive 16-10 victory in the first week of the finals.
However, the Panthers have been rock solid since then, coming out on top in hard-fought battles against Parramatta and Melbourne.
They will go in as favourites against a red-hot South Sydney outfit, despite several key Panthers players nursing niggling injuries.
Penrith will be hoping to go one better than last year when they lost to the Storm in the grand final.
On the other hand, Souths are desperate to farewell master coach Wayne Bennett and departing halfback Adam Reynolds in style.
Recent results
Qualifying final 2021: South Sydney (16) defeated Penrith (10)
Round 23, 2021: Penrith (25) defeated South Sydney (12)
Round 11, 2021: Penrith (56) defeated South Sydney (12)
Preliminary final 2020: Penrith (20) defeated (16)
Round 7 2020: Penrith (20) defeated South Sydney (12)
All time head-to-head: 98 matches — Rabbitohs 51, Panthers 44, three draws
Where is the NRL grand final being held?
The grand final will take place at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on Sunday night. It’s the first time rugby league’s decider has been held outside Sydney.
Queensland has been a safe haven for the NRL since the entire competition moved north of the border halfway through the season.
But on Thursday, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced six new locally acquired cases in areas including Brisbane, Moreton Bay, Gold Coast, Townsville, Logan and Palm Island.
The positive case in Townsville threw a major spanner in the works for the NRL, which had hoped to host the grand final there in a “Plan B” scenario.
New restrictions have forced Suncorp Stadium’s capacity of 52,500 to be reduced to 75 per cent for the game, meaning around 13,000 will need to hand back their tickets.
What time is the NRL Grand Final?
Kick-off is scheduled for 6.30pm local time (7.30pm AEDT) on Sunday, October 3.
However, when the national anthem and Welcome to Country are taken into account, don’t be surprised if the game actually starts at around 6.40pm.
Daylight saving commences the night before, so be sure to readjust your clocks accordingly.
Sydney – 7.30pm
Melbourne – 7.30pm
Brisbane – 6.30pm
Adelaide – 7pm
Perth – 4.30pm
Hobart – 7.30pm
How to watch the NRL Grand Final?
The NRL Grand Final will be broadcast live and exclusively on Channel 9 and 9HD.
You will also be able to stream the match on 9Now, but a Nine Account is required to access the stream.
Fox League will show a replay of the game immediately after full-time.
Who is the Grand Final entertainment?
Aussie singer-songwriter Kate Miller-Heidke will sing the national anthem ahead of kick-off, and will lead the pre-match entertainment alongside Cold Chisel founding member Ian Moss.
They will be joined by globetrotting DJs The Stafford Brothers, live instrumentalist Timmy Trumpet, internationally acclaimed didgeridoo player William Barton and a 40-piece orchestra.
Miller-Heidke represented Australia at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2019, performing her song “Zero Gravity”.
What are the betting odds?
As of Thursday afternoon, Sportsbet had Penrith as $1.68 favourites to South Sydney at $2.25.
Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary ($4) is the favourite for the Clive Churchill medal, with Rabbitohs five-eighth Cody Walker ($6.50) the best value for his side.
Team line-ups
Penrith: 1. Dylan Edwards 2. Stephen Crichton 3. Paul Momirovski 4. Matt Burton 5. Brian To’o 6. Jarome Luai 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 9. Apisai Koroisau 10. James Fisher-Harris 11. Viliame Kikau 12. Kurt Capewell 13. Isaah Yeo 14. Tyrone May 15. Scott Sorensen 16. Spencer Leniu 17. Liam Martin 18. Brent Naden 19. Mitch Kenny 20. J’maine Hopgood 21. Charlie Staines
Coach: Ivan Cleary
South Sydney: 1. Blake Taaffe 2. Alex Johnston 3. Dane Gagai 4. Campbell Graham 5. Jaxson Paulo 6. Cody Walker 7. Adam Reynolds 8. Mark Nicholls 9. Damien Cook 10. Tevita Tatola 11. Keaon Koloamatangi 12. Jaydn Su’A 13. Cameron Murray 14. Benji Marshall 15. Jacob Host 16. Thomas Burgess 17. Jai Arrow 18. Taane Milne 19. Patrick Mago 20. Braidon Burns 21. Jed Cartwright
Coach: Wayne Bennett
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